Josh Dun

Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which he has won one.
Early life
Joshua William Dun was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 18, 1988, the son of hospice social worker Laura Lee Dun (née McCollum) and physical therapy assistant William Earl "Bill" Dun. He has two sisters and a brother. His great-great-great-grandparents were the American rancher Edwin Dun, who was United States Ambassador to Japan, and his Japanese wife Tsuru.
He initially took trumpet lessons at school and then turned his attention to drums, teaching himself how to play. One method Dun references was imitating the beats of the records he'd buy on an electronic drum kit.
He worked at Guitar Center for three years, where he met former Twenty One Pilots drummer Chris Salih, who eventually introduced him to future bandmate Tyler Joseph.
Career
2010: House of Heroes
In March 2010, Dun joined House of Heroes after the band's drummer, Colin Rigsby, took a break to spend more time with his family. He makes an appearance in the music video for the band's single "God Save the Foolish Kings." He performed on House of Heroes' live tour until October, when Rigsby returned to his duties.
After quitting his job at Guitar Center, Dun planned to leave for Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a drum career in the industry; however, he was stopped by Twenty One Pilots drummer Chris Salih, who offered him his role. He went on to play a show with Tyler Joseph after Salih and bassist Nick Thomas left the group due to busy schedules. They played one song before police officers showed up and cancelled the show. Dun subsequently became the band's full-time drummer, joining as production on the band's second studio album Regional at Best drew to a close. The album was released on July 8, 2011, shortly after Dun's recruitment. Although he does not perform on the album, he is credited in the liner notes.
2011–present: Twenty One Pilots
In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots signed with record label Fueled by Ramen, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records in April 2012. Twenty One Pilots' third studio album, Vessel, was released on January 8, 2013 through Fueled by Ramen and reached no. 21 on the Billboard 200.
The band's fourth studio album, Blurryface, was released on May 17, 2015, two days ahead of its intended release date. At this point in Twenty One Pilots' career, the band had topped the charts with their hit single "Stressed Out"–the song's music video being filmed at Dun's childhood home—and has since received over 2.7 billion views on YouTube.
Their fifth studio album, Trench, was released on October 5, 2018. The album was the first release of the newly revived Elektra Music Group.
On April 9, 2020, the duo released a new single "Level of Concern". The accompanying music video for the track was filmed in both Joseph and Dun's respective homes while they were under lockdown due to the U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 8, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas song, titled "Christmas Saves the Year", during a Twitch livestream hosted by Tyler Joseph. The duo's sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy, was released on May 21, 2021.
Other ventures
In 2017, Dun partnered with Hayley Williams of Paramore to promote her hair dye line "Good Dye Young".
Influences
At the age of 13, Dun developed an interest in punk music, initially seeking "the fastest punk-rock that [he] could find." He mainly listened to punk-rock when he was growing up. He cites ...And Out Come the Wolves by Rancid as an early influence due to its combination of different music genres. Another of his earliest purchases was an album by NOFX. Afterward, he branched into pop-punk music, citing Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41. When learning drums, Dun would play along to Metallica. However, his parents set strict rules on what music he could listen to, about which he later said, "I'd hide albums like Green Day's Dookie underneath my bed. Sometimes they'd find them and get real mad. They'd find a Christian alternative, like Relient K, and make me listen to that." Later, Dun transitioned to slower alternative rock, with albums like Daisy by Brand New.
He initially took trumpet lessons at school and then turned his attention to drums, teaching himself how to play. One method Dun references was imitating the beats of the records he'd buy on an electronic drum kit. Since a young age, Dun has ultimately sought to "blend" genres and make diverse music.
Personal life
Dun and Twenty One Pilots bandmate Tyler Joseph both have an "X" tattoo on their body symbolizing their dedication to their hometown fans in Columbus, Ohio. They received it onstage during their hometown show at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on April 26, 2013. Dun also sports the name "Tyler" above his left knee. They are both fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Dun dated actress and singer Debby Ryan from May 2013 to September 2014. They resumed their relationship sometime after. They were married in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2019. The two are longtime fans of the Fast & Furious franchise and would go on to make a cameo appearance in Fast X.
Dun and Ryan currently live in Columbus, Ohio. In March 2023, magazine Architectural Digest released a documentary about their home. The pair commissioned Dun's brother's girlfriend to sculpt a bust of Dwayne Johnson. Dun also assembled a boxing ring in his basement. In May 2023, instrument retailer Sweetwater filmed a documentary about the construction of Dun's home studio. The studio was designed by Haverstick Designs, the same firm that designed bandmate Tyler Joseph's home studio.
Discography
House of Heroes
Suburba (2010)
Twenty One Pilots
Regional at Best (2011)
Vessel (2013)
Blurryface (2015)
Trench (2018)
Scaled and Icy (2021)
With other artists
Filmography
Awards and nominations
See also
Tyler Joseph
List of songs recorded by Twenty One Pilots
Notes
References
External links
Josh Dun on Twitter
1988 births
Living people
American drummers
American male drummers
Twenty One Pilots members
Fueled by Ramen artists
Musicians from Columbus, Ohio
American percussionists
American trumpeters
American male trumpeters
21st-century American drummers